Electric

2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Provides 258 Miles

Hyundai's 2019 Kona Electric should deliver 258 miles of all-electric range when it goes in sale early next year in California.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai.

Hyundai's 2019 Kona Electric should achieve 258 miles of electric range, which would be higher than most EVs not produced by Tesla, Hyundai announced as it unveiled the vehicle at a media event in California.

The Kona Electric subcompact SUV will also carry a lifetime warranty for the lithium-ion battery pack.

Hyundai will initially offer the crossover in California in early 2019, and will eventually roll it out to other Zero Electric Vehicle mandate states, including Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Kona Electric is powered by a powertrain that features a 150-kilowatt electric motor that sends 201 peak horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque to a front-wheel drivetrain. The vehicle uses a standard 240-volt Level II charging system capable of a 7.2 kilowatt rate of charge. Users can achieve an 80% charge using DC fast charging in 54 minutes. The lithium-ion pack recovers charge at 64 kilowatts per hour.

The Kona Electric's range would exceed most of the other battery-electric vehicles on the market, including the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen eGolf, and Ford Focus Electric. The Bolt EV is rated to provide 238 miles.

Hyundai plans to release pricing closer to when the vehicle goes on sale.

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